Hu:China to cooperate with other countries

 

Chinese President Hu Jintao said China will cooperate with other nations for the sake of its economic growth and internal stability.The outgoing leader gave his final New Year address through the state-run Central Television on Monday. Hu said 2012 was a significant year for China's development. He referred to the change in leadership of the governing Communist Party. Xi Jinping took over from Hu as the party's General Secretary in November.

Hu said China will solve international issues in 2013 by peaceful means and will play a responsible role as a major power, promoting global economic growth. Hu is scheduled to retire from politics in March when Xi takes over as president.

Putin Signs Belarus Gas Agreements

Russian President Vladimir Putin has endorsed agreements on deliveries of natural gas to Belarus in 2013.
The ratification act that Putin signed sets out the formula for the price of gas Belarus imports for domestic consumption in 2013 and subsequent years, tying it to the price of gas for consumers in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, according to the document, published on Russia's official legal information website.
It also defines the tariffs for gas transportation by Belarusian pipeline operator Beltransgaz – which is wholly owned by Russia’s Gazprom - both on gas delivered to domestic customers and gas destined for export beyond Belarus.
Under the agreements, Beltransgaz will transit up to 60 billion cubic meters of Russian gas in 2013, an amount representing 134.8 percent of the target for 2012, to its borders with Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland.

U.S. Senate approves bill to avoid ‘fiscal cliff’

January 1, 2013

U.S. Senate on Tuesday,two hours after a Dec. 31 deadline had lapsed, approved legislation aimed at averting the “fiscal cliff” by stopping most tax hikes and across-the-board spending cuts that were due to begin with the new year.
The House of Representatives still has to approve the measure,possibly on Tuesday. Media agencies